At one point, the high-flying commercial lending CUSO formed through Eastern Financial Florida Credit Union funded more than $200 million in business loans and served dozens of credit unions nationwide.

The sudden NCUA takeover of the $876 million Arrowhead Central Credit Union on Friday was as much a surprise to the $4 billion Alaska USA FCU, now owner or co-owner of four former branches of Arrowhead, as it was to others, Alaska USA management reported.

The $4 billion Alaska USA Federal Credit Union of Anchorage and the ailing $875 million Arrowhead Credit Union of San Bernardino, Calif. disclosed Wednesday they will begin implementing the sale of five Arrowhead branches starting this weekend.

In separate moves, two of the struggling sand state credit unions, the $851 million Arrowhead Central CU in California and the $370 million AEA FCU of Yuma, Ariz., found themselves suffering more of the recession's fallout this month.